Special Olympics Receives Top Rating from Charity Navigator

Just a few weeks ago I shared the great news that we were selected by our peers as a Top Nonprofit by Philanthropedia. And the good news keeps on coming! I’m excited to announce that Charity Navigator awarded Special Olympics its prestigious four star rating!

Charity Navigator, the largest and most influential charity rater in the U.S., aims to “help people give to charity with confidence” by evaluating organizations’ financial health and their commitment to accountability and transparency. The organization recently added new measures of transparency and accountability, including indicators of good governance, ethical practices and openness with information. According to Ken Berger, President & CEO of Charity Navigator, “Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that your organization adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way.”

Only a quarter of the approximately 5,500 charities that are evaluated have received the highest rating, indicating that Special Olympics is a top performer in the non-profit sector! This “exceptional” designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Special Olympics from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.

When Charity Navigator added measure of transparency and accountability to their evaluation criteria recently, the number of organizations receiving the four-star ranking fell by 20 percent, yet Special Olympics’ score actually went up! This is a true testament to the value we place on “doing right” by our fans and athletes, and to steward every dollar we receive from our generous donors responsibly.

Congratulations to everyone who helped us attain this exceptional ranking!